Contemporary computer and communications systems commonly comprise several subsystems, each implementing one or more computation or communication functions. Examples include computer servers, Internet web servers, storage servers, and packet-based communications switches. Each subsystem comprises its unique electrical and mechanical elements, including printed-circuit wiring board assemblies, internal wiring and connectors, etc. Each subsystem is outfitted with external connector sockets for communicating with other subsystems and for drawing power. The subsystems are mounted in close proximity to each other in mechanical structures in the form of industry-standard-sized racks or custom-sized chassis, referenced as rack/chassis-based architecture.
The rack/chassis-based architecture has several advantages: the subsystems may be arbitrarily arranged in the room, subject to cooling and cabling distance constraints, and the subsystems may have different form factors. Although this technology has proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. The rack/chassis-based architecture suffers from several operational disadvantages: scaling difficulty; cable management; connector unreliability; and unreliability of wire and cable assemblies. These disadvantages contribute to the overall unreliability of today's high-performance computer and communications systems and lead to increased costs of ownership, maintenance, and upgrade of the systems.
A modular computer system is a reliable alternative to the rack/chassis-based architecture. The modular computer system utilizes non-cable interconnections and is easy to expand and service. The modular computer system comprises discrete subsystems, building blocks, or “bricks”, arranged together such that adjacent subsystems communicate with each other via surface-mounted communication elements such as capacitive couplers located on the subsystem surfaces. The subsystems may be arranged into a one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional structure to perform general-purpose computing, data storage, and network communications, or a combination of such functions. Each building block comprises transmitting elements and receiving elements.
The building blocks are in close proximity. Information is exchanged using a wireless communication medium such as, for example, electromagnetic carrier waves. The electromagnetic carrier waves may be transmitted, for example, in the optical or radiofrequency domain using time-varying electric or magnetic fields varying at base band frequency.
Transmission techniques utilized by modular computer systems require relatively precise alignment between the transmitting elements and receiving elements of the building blocks. Generally, alignment between the transmitting elements and receiving elements is required in a range from a few microns to a few hundred microns precision. However, the building blocks might not necessarily be aligned to the precision required for transmission between the transmitting elements and the receiving elements.
What is therefore needed is a mechanism for automatically achieving sufficient accuracy of the alignment between the transmission elements and the receiving elements without the need for human intervention. The need for such a system has heretofore remained unsatisfied.